urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-b9a5cb12-f740-4115-8aae-a4d13aa1aed0Tivoli Storage Manager UI03042013-12-12T17:16:07-05:00IBM Connections - Blogsurn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-eb5ee395-e803-47b4-909d-89ec65266c5dThe IBM TSM Team is Listening -- how we use customer stakeholder feedback to guide our new user interfacesBryantLee100000U5VSactivefalsead252900-cd24-4ed8-910a-19d531fff0ecComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2013-03-27T01:21:07-04:002013-03-27T01:21:07-04:00<b>03/26/2013, Martine Wedlake, Ph.D., IBM Storage User Interface Architect </b><div class="entryContentContainer"><wbr /><br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />In
my first blogs, I mentioned how we have changed our development
practices to an agile or iterative team. This means that we were able
to collect a lot more information during the product design and
development cycle than we would ever have been able to do with our
previous waterfall development model. Let me tell you a bit about our
early access program (which we just call EAP because, well, at IBM
everything has a thre<wbr />e-le<wbr />tter<wbr />-acr<wbr />onym<wbr />). We
started these sessions back in November and since then have had about 13
meetings talking about everything from navigation to dashboard (yes,
lots of times), user roles, command line, and so forth. The list of
topics just keeps going on and on as we dig further into it. The really
great part is that we've been listening during these sessions and have
collected nearly 400 requirements and resolved about 120 or so. By
resolve here, I mean implemented a change or feature to address the
request. Lots of times our design evolutions take care of that, but
there's a lot of times when we specifically target elements of the
design based on feedback.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />In addition to the EAP, we
have also gone out to do face-to-face usability studies with users.
During these studies we observe the user performing a series of tasks
that are scripted ahead of time. We jokingly refer to this as an &quot;<wbr />Ethnographic Study&quot;<wbr />
-- as if we were Margaret Mead observing the Samoans in their natural
habitat, but the reality really isn't that far off. We know that our
products are never really used in a vacuum. How the user works with the
product within the context of his or her work day influences how
successful we are in providing value. For example, studies tell us that
that getting interrupted in the middle of a focused activity takes
about 10 minutes to get back into the zone. By observing administrators
in their work environment, we can get a sense of how often they get
interrupted, which gives us data we can use during the task analysis to
ensure that interruptions have a minimal effect on the administrators'
productivity. Using this open-ended testing approach really shows us
the gaps in the product that we just can't get in other ways. For the
design and development team, this is often the first time we really get a
chance to see the product in action the way our users are going to use
it. We also generate incredibly valuable data from these sessions; from
a recent study, we collected over a hundred issues for us to look at
eventually leading to additional requirements.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />I just
scanned the list of requirements a few days ago, and it showed that you,
our stakeholders, have literally helped shape pretty much every aspect
of this product. Let me give you a few examples.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />My
first example is the dashboard (or overview) page. I've lost count on
how many iterations of the overview / dashboard page, but it must be
something close to 15 or so. We brought many of these designs in front
of stakeholders and used the feedback to set a course on the next
iteration. Here's an example of one of our early designs and you'll see
how far we've come:<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr /><div><wbr /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/old_dashboardWM.png" target="_blank"><wbr /><img alt="image" src="https://dw1.s81c.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/old_dashboardWM.png" style=" width:400px; display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /><wbr /></a><wbr /> <br /><wbr /></div><wbr /><div><wbr /> </div><wbr />Another
example is virtual machines, we heard just how important they are to
your environments and as a result, we prioritised some of the elements
earlier into the design. We put extra pods into the dashboard display
and added them into the client list and detail pages. We expect to do
even more in the future. Here are some examples of how we've
incorporated it:<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Dashboard-Overview2WM.png" target="_blank"><wbr /><img alt="image" src="https://dw1.s81c.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Dashboard-Overview2WM.png" style=" width:400px; display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /><wbr /></a><wbr /> <br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Clients-L2WM.png" target="_blank"><wbr /><img alt="image" src="https://dw1.s81c.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Clients-L2WM.png" style=" width:400px; display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /><wbr /></a><wbr /> <br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Clients-L3-VirtualMachinesWM.png" target="_blank"><wbr /><img alt="image" src="https://dw1.s81c.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Clients-L3-VirtualMachinesWM.png" style=" width:400px; display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /><wbr /></a><wbr /> <br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />And
my final example is the concept of clients that are at risk. In one
of our very early EAP sessions we heard the comment that any roll-up of
client backup activity must accommodate the fact that there are backup
failures each and every night. What we need to do is go a bit deeper
and identify those clients that are at risk -- either because the
backups are always failing, or because the data is especially
sensitive. We tried to account for this feedback in the at-risk
indicators for clients. What we have is definitely a starting point and
not the final solution, but we are using stakeholder feedback to guide
us along the journey.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Settings-GeneralWM.png" target="_blank"><wbr /><img alt="image" src="https://dw1.s81c.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Settings-GeneralWM.png" style=" width:400px; display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /><wbr /></a><wbr /> <br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />I
want to leave the blog with a simple message -- it is not too late to
participate! You can join our EAP or Beta programs, or even register
to use the cloud demo machine. This is not a one-shot effort, embarking
on this journey means that we'll be doing iterative designs and
feedback sessions for now on, so feel free to join us anytime.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr /></div>
03/26/2013, Martine Wedlake, Ph.D., IBM Storage User Interface Architect In
my first blogs, I mentioned how we have changed our development
practices to an agile or iterative team. This means that we were able
to collect a lot more information during...001235urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-b9a5cb12-f740-4115-8aae-a4d13aa1aed0Tivoli Storage Manager UI2013-12-12T17:16:07-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-10940af2-7171-4b62-aa44-4938854b79d8Tivoli Storage Manager Operations Center – A first lookMike_Barton100000SJBPactivefalsead252900-cd24-4ed8-910a-19d531fff0ecComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2013-01-30T12:55:32-05:002013-01-30T12:55:32-05:00 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">The next generation of backup administration can dramatically improve simplicity, scalability and backup quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>See how IBM’s advanced interface for Tivoli Storage Manager enables consolidation, intuitive problem resolution and integrated team collaboration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><p /></font></font></span></p><div> </div><p><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></font></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Please view the video on YouTube or IBM TV, and tell us what you think.<p /></font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <p /></font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> IBM TV: <p /></font></font></span></p><p style="margin-left: 0.5in"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><a href="http://ibmtvdemo.edgesuite.net/software/tivoli/demos/TSM_Ops_Center-First_Look/index.html"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">http://ibmtvdemo.edgesuite.net/software/tivoli/demos/TSM_Ops_Center-First_Look/index.html</font></a><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <p /></font></font></span></p><p style="margin-left: 0.5in"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">You Tube:<p /></font></font></span></p><blockquote dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px"><p><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><a href="http://youtu.be/gXwWjWRzSjI"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">http://youtu.be/gXwWjWRzSjI</font></a><p /></span></p></blockquote><p><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <p /></font></font></span></p><p><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">NOTICE<p /></font></font></span></p><p><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <p /></font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">All statements regarding IBM's future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only.<p /></font></font></span></p><p><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <p /></font></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: en"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">IBM's statements regarding its plans, directions, and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice at IBM's sole discretion. Information regarding potential future products is intended to outline our general product direction and it should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision. The information mentioned regarding potential future products is not a commitment, promise, or legal obligation to deliver material, code, or functionality. Information about potential future products may not be incorporated into any contract. The development, release, and timing of any future features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion.<p /></font></font></span></p> The next generation of backup administration can dramatically improve simplicity, scalability and backup quality. See how IBM’s advanced interface for Tivoli Storage Manager enables consolidation, intuitive problem resolution and integrated team...013333urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-b9a5cb12-f740-4115-8aae-a4d13aa1aed0Tivoli Storage Manager UI2013-12-12T17:16:07-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-defbaf58-74a1-429c-aa43-02773c36bd91Goals and Vision of the New User Interface for TSMBryantLee100000U5VSactivefalsead252900-cd24-4ed8-910a-19d531fff0ecComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2013-01-25T15:25:16-05:002013-01-25T15:25:16-05:00<div><!--[if !mso]&gt;
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<!--[if !ppt]--><!--[endif]--></div><div> <hr /></div><b>12/12/2012, Martine Wedlake, Ph.D., IBM Storage User Interface Architect</b><div><wbr /><br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />As
a developer at IBM, I am living in the middle of a revolution. Let me
take a moment to explain what I mean. By way of a quick history lesson
-- if we go back to about five years ago, our development process was
much different than it is today. We used to be guided by product
managers looking at large spreadsheets of features and functions. They
weigh the value of features against requests and produce what they hope
to be the right set of compromises. We, in development, write the code
(as we like to call it) in the stereotypical dark basement until it is
ready to see the light of day. After the release, some of us would
watch for the feedback to come in -- hoping that we produced something
our customers need and want and ultimately appreciate. This software
development process is called waterfall development, and has been used
since the beginning of time -- well, at least when software came into
it's own back in the mid-part of the last century.</div><div class="entryContentContainer"><wbr /> <br /><wbr />The
revolution for my group began a few years ago when we redesigned the
user interface for the SAN Volume Controller storage device using an
iterative process (sometimes called Agile). Instead of designing
everything up front and driving the development activity as a single
effort, we broke it up into smaller time-boxed chunks. These chunks
gave us the opportunity to start showing the progress of the GUI to our
stakeholders, get some feedback, and then incorporate it into the next
iteration. In this way we gained a level of flexibility we just did not
have before.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />Let's flash forward to today where the
process has matured quite a bit. Instead of a few IBMers providing
feedback, we now collect feedback from a wide range of stakeholders --
developers, product management, customer facing IBMers and end-users as
well. We've invited these stakeholders into the design process, even
before we've written a single line of code, to collect requirements and
build relationships that are needed during the entire design and
development cycle. In my previous blog, I outlined a few ways that
we're engaging end-users into our development effort. We definitely
would love for you to join us in making the user experience for TSM
better.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />A good example of this effect is a recent trip
I made to Baltimore. I went there to talk to the semi-annual Tivoli
User Group about our new GUI. We had a great audience with over 50
people from many walks of life -- long time TSM administrators, business
partners and a few IBMers. During the meeting, we went over the
roadmap and gave a demo of the current development iteration. I love
the feedback we get from these sessions; there's just so much enthusiasm
in the TSM user community, it's hard not to get carried away by it.
Based on feedback from the user meeting, I've already been in contact
with development and product management teams to prioritise and work in
the feedback into our ongoing activity.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />Along with the
iterative development revolution, we have also changed our focus.
We've recognised that the best feature or function is ultimately useless
to you if it is not easy to use. With increased pressure on IT staff,
there just isn't the free time available any longer to learn new
features or capabilities. The burden is on us, in development, to make
the features consumable with minimal training and up front training. <br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />I'm
reminded of a discussion I had with a TPC customer earlier in the
year. We'd just completed the new design of the user interface and the
customer was pleased that the product contained a new feature. The only
thing is, this new feature had existed in the product for a few years
-- but was so difficult to find that the user never even knew it was
there. Sometimes making a feature usable is just as effective as making
the feature itself.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />The goals for the TSM user
interface are pretty straight forward -- intuitive and easy-to-use,
improved signal-to-noise, and visually attractive and modern:<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />Intuitive
and easy-to-use means that the product must have simplified task flows
that reduce the ramp-up time for first-time and occasional users while
still maintaining the high degree of capability that TSM is known for.
Within the development team, we created a motto to underscore the need
for ease-of-use -- &quot;<wbr />Maniacal Focus on Simplicity.&quot;<wbr /> Within the
design team, the majority of our time is spent on making the panels as
simple as possible. An example of this is the overview page (you can
see a screenshot of it below). I've not gone back and counted them, but
feels like had almost ten major iterations of that panel to get it to
the state you see today. Each step moving us closer and closer to what
we hope will be an immediately intuitive diagram of the system state.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />Improved
signal-to-noise means that information contained on the pages needs to
be relevant to the task you're working on. It is all too easy to
decorate a user interface with charts, graphs, and controls to the point
where you lose track of the original purpose of the page. This is
ultimately coupled with the simplicity goal in the first bullet. As we
iterate through, making things easier and easier, we're always having to
come back to the base question of &quot;<wbr />what does the user do on this page&quot;<wbr /> and how we can align the data to directly serve those needs.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />Visually
attractive and modern creates a good first impression that entices
users to try the new interface and then experience the full set of
capabilities. This is the most obvious element of the new GUI design,
but in some sense it's the least important. In the end, we will not
have met our objectives if we have a pretty but complex, or attractive
and useless GUI -- so this is a supporting characteristic, but by no
means is it sufficient.<br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />Of course, we hope that we're
making positive progress towards these goals. I really don't know if we
can ever achieve them outright; it's a continuous process where we get
better step-by-step over time. I definitely want to hear from you -- as
I mentioned above, your feedback is a critical part of the process. <br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr /><div><wbr />To
give you an idea of our progress, I've included a few screenshots of
the new user interface. As with everything in this blot, these
screenshots represent a work in progress, so please don't view them as a
commitment or view of final products.
</div><wbr /><div><wbr /> <br /><wbr /></div><wbr /><div><wbr /><b><wbr />Overview </b><wbr /></div><wbr /><div><wbr /> </div><wbr /><div><wbr />This
is the first thing you see after logging into the GUI. Along the top
is a very simple menu bar showing the places you can go leaving the
majority of the workspace free for the content itself. The dashboard
itself is shown as a logical diagram showing how the clients interact
with the servers through a set of services. This helps orient new users
in the logical structure of TSM, while still providing needed status
information. Moving your mouse around the diagram reveals several live
elements that provide access to additional information -- for example,
the mockup shows the services pod highlighted in blue. A single mouse
click here will take you to the policy page. </div><wbr /><div><wbr /> </div><wbr /><div><wbr /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Dashboard-OverviewWM.png" target="_blank"><wbr /><img alt="image" src="https://dw1.s81c.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Dashboard-OverviewWM.png" style=" width:400px; display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /><wbr /></a><wbr /> <br /><wbr /> </div><wbr /><div><wbr /><b><wbr /> Alerts List Page</b><wbr /></div><wbr /><div><wbr /> </div><wbr /><div><wbr />The
next screenshot is the alerts list page. You can get to it from the
alerts pod of the overview. Alerts are a new capability in TSM where it
will collect information from the activity log automatically and
highlight them in the table so you don't have to go looking for them.
The entries in the table can be assigned to TSM administrators, moved to
inactive state, or closed altogether. It's worthwhile to note that the
usability improvements we've made from the storage devices and TPC are
also present here -- for example, the columns are configurable (resize,
move, sort order and hide/unhide) and these changes are persistent. The
next time you come back to the page, you'll see the same table
configuration as you left it. This general structure is the same for
other assets -- such as TSM Servers, Clients, Storage Pools, Policies,
etc. Once you learn how the list page works for one asset, it's
immediately obvious how it works for any of the others. <br /><wbr /><br /><wbr /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Dashboard-Alerts-L2WM.png" target="_blank"><wbr /><img alt="image" src="https://dw1.s81c.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Dashboard-Alerts-L2WM.png" style=" width:400px; display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /><wbr /></a><wbr /> <br /><wbr /> </div><wbr /><div><wbr /><b><wbr />Client Details Page</b><wbr /><br /><wbr /> <br /><wbr />The
final example shows a page dedicated to the details of a specific
client. You can get here by drilling through a list of resources
(similar to the alert page, but showing all clients). The intent is to
holistically show everything about a the client from this single page to
minimise the number of page reloads -- just select the item on the left
to see the corresponding component view on the right.<br /><wbr /><br /><wbr />As
with the list page above, we leverage this structure for all the basic
asset types. So you would see a very similar page layout for TSM
Servers and so forth. </div><wbr /><div><wbr /> </div><wbr /><div><wbr /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Clients-L3-OverviewWM.png" target="_blank"><wbr /><img alt="image" src="https://dw1.s81c.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/69e4b1b8-822c-4b59-8c61-dcd7daf1bb6f/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/Clients-L3-OverviewWM.png" style=" width:400px; display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /><wbr /></a><wbr /> </div></div><div> <br /></div><div> </div>DISCLAIMER: REFERENCES IN CONTENT TO IBM PRODUCTS, PROGRAMS, OR SERVICES DO NOT IMPLY THAT THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE IN ALL COUNTRIES IN WHICH IBM OPERATES. CONTENT, INCLUDING ANY PLANS CONTAINED IN CONTENT, MAY CHANGE AT ANY TIME AT IBM'S SOLE DISCRETION, BASED...001520urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-b9a5cb12-f740-4115-8aae-a4d13aa1aed0Tivoli Storage Manager UI2013-12-12T17:16:07-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-b1ba2f7a-8931-43dd-85b9-60b87db8fcb7Getting Involved with the New TSM Administrative Console – how you can work with our developers to create the interface you really needBryantLee100000U5VSactivefalsead252900-cd24-4ed8-910a-19d531fff0ecComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2012-12-07T17:32:03-05:002013-01-16T20:45:28-05:00
<b>2012/11/26, Martine Wedlake, Ph.D., IBM Storage User Interface Architect </b><br /> <br /><div> </div><div> </div>My
team has been working over the past few years to redesign the user
interfaces for several of IBM's storage products. We started with IBM
Storwize V7000 and SAN Volume Controller and then moved to the IBM
Tivoli Storage Productivity Center. We have now set our sights on the
IBM Tivoli Storage Manager. Over the coming weeks and months, I'll be
writing a series of blogs to give you an insight into the process and
glimpses of the new user interface as it emerges off the drawing board
and into production. Like our other user interfaces, this new
administrative console will feature intuitive and easy-to-use
navigation, with simplified panels designed to reduce complexity and
errors. Administrators will be able to see issues as they develop,
across a larger consolidated environment, before critical systems are
threatened. <br /> <br />We want this new TSM administrative console to be
the most intuitive and effective software you've ever used, and
something we have learned over the past few years is that we really
can't do this alone. That's why I'm asking for your help. If you work
with TSM or have an interest in our user interfaces, we would like to
invite you to help us transform TSM into the product you need it to be.
We have several options available:<br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> <br /></div><div><b>Early Access Program</b></div><br />Through
this program, you will be able to provide regular feedback directly to
the designers and developers of the new TSM administrative console. We
week approximately once a month to show designs, demos and talk about
your needs with the product. You can help us prioritize goals and work
items, review our user interface designs and provide much-needed
feedback.<br /><br /><div>If you are interested in participating, please signup at: <a href="https://www-304.ibm.com/software/support/trial/cst/forms/nomination.wss?id=4589">https://www-304.ibm.com/software/support/trial/cst/forms/nomination.wss?id=4589</a><br />If you have any difficulties, you can send a note to Mary Anne Filosa (mfilosa@us.ibm.com).<br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> <br /></div><div><b>Customer Studies</b></div><br />We
are looking for a variety of user types and skill levels (from first
time users to advanced users) to help us evaluate just how easy the new
interface is to learn, use and recover from errors. We can do remote
studies or on-site studies and the duration can vary between a couple of
hours to several hours depending on what is being studied and your
availability.<br /><br />If you are interested in participating, please send
an email with the following information to Gergana Markova
(gmarkova@us.ibm.com):<br /><br /><blockquote>Name:<br />Company:<br />Title and TSM Responsibilities:<br /><br />Customer Site Study? (Yes/No):<br />If Yes, please list your physical location:<br /><br />Online virtual Study? (Yes/No):<br /><br />Please list the primary reasons why you do backup and restore? (e.g., legal, regulatory, business protection, etc.):<br /><br />How many are in your TSM team and what are their responsibilities:<br /><br />Approximate number of TSM Servers:<br /></blockquote><div> </div><div><b>Beta Program</b></div><br />We
are also looking for participants to join the TSM administrative
console beta program to help us improve the product and validate release
readiness. The beta program will start in early 2013 and continue
until the release of the product. As a participant, you would benefit
from:<br /><ul><li>A product overview during kickoff meeting.</li><li>The opportunity to work with the product experts from IBM and with other customers.</li><li>The ability to install, configure and evaluate the product in your own environment to validate new functionality.</li><li>Dedicated support provided by the beta team for the duration of the beta program.</li><li>Ability to influence the product and future directions.</li></ul><br /><div>If you are interested in participating in the beta program, please sign up at: <a href="https://www-304.ibm.com/software/support/trial/cst/forms/nomination.wss?id=4554 ">https://www-304.ibm.com/software/support/trial/cst/forms/nomination.wss?id=4554 </a><br />If you have any difficulties, you can send a note to Mary Anne Filosa (mfilosa@us.ibm.com).<br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> <br /></div><div><b>Next blog topic</b>: Goals and Vision of the New TSM Administrative Console
</div>
2012/11/26, Martine Wedlake, Ph.D., IBM Storage User Interface Architect My
team has been working over the past few years to redesign the user
interfaces for several of IBM's storage products. We started with IBM
Storwize V7000 and SAN Volume...002386urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-b9a5cb12-f740-4115-8aae-a4d13aa1aed0Tivoli Storage Manager UI2013-12-12T17:16:07-05:00